Correspondent photo / Nancilynn Gatta Jennifer Glavic, a teacher at Niles Intermediate School, stands next to the map of the United States in her classroom. The map has hearts placed on the location of the city and state from where her students received a Valentine’s Day card as part of Hearts Across America. She will keep the map up during February and use it to teach her students United States geography and other lessons.

NILES — Valentine’s Day is a time to show someone that they are a special person in your life with a gift, gesture or card.

Jennifer Glavic, a teacher at Niles Intermediate School, wants you to make her classroom students feel special by sending them a Valentine’s Day card or postcard.

“We are participating in the ‘Hearts Across America’ project that I learned about through a friend of a teacher in Pennsylvania. We are trying to receive a Valentine’s Day card from each of the 50 states by Feb. 14,” Glavic said.

Hearts Across America involves elementary and intermediate school students seeking Valentine’s Day cards or postcards. In 2023, another school in Ohio participated in this project. Ironton Elementary School in southern Ohio, near the Kentucky border, received correspondence from all 50 states and even from other countries. Glavic said she hopes her class will have the same success.

Glavic used the power of social media to ask for Valentine’s cards.

“The post was sent home to our students’ parents and it was shared on Facebook numerous times. Parents have reached out to family and friends as well,” Glavic said.

Within the first four days, Glavic’s class had received four cards.

“The cards were from Montana, North Carolina and two locations in Florida — Melbourne and West Melbourne,” Glavic noted.

The class has a large map of the United States on one wall of her classroom.

“I place a heart sticker on the map showing where the city is in the state when we receive a card in the mail,” Glavic said.

She teaches students with multiple disabilities in grades two through five. By participating in Hearts Across America, she said the students will gain valuable lessons.

“There are multiple skills being learned. The power of social media is one. They need to understand that ‘things’ fly around social media quickly, good or bad. They are also getting exposure to the United States map and some things each state offers. They are learning geography. We discuss a little bit about each state as we receive a card,” she said.

This is the first year that Glavic’s class is taking part in this exercise.

“The students look forward to the mail coming every day to see how many cards they have received,” Glavic said.

She is putting the cards with their envelopes above the map of the United States.

“So far, I don’t know any of the people who have sent cards,” she said.

It is a testament to the power of social media and word of mouth and the kindness of strangers hoping to help the class achieve their goal of cards from all 50 states.

Help the effort

If you would like to send a Valentine’s Day card to the class or encourage a friend or relative in another state to do so, the address is as follows:

Mrs. Glavic’s Class

Niles Intermediate School

120 E. Margaret Ave.

Niles, OH 44446